JPS61227170A - Sputtering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit the easy inspection of the quality of formed multi-layer films and to improve the efficiency of a sputtering device by exposing successively plural dummy sample plates in parallel with the lamination and formation of the multi-layer films onto a substrate and forming thin dummy films for inspecting the film quality. CONSTITUTION:This sputtering device laminates and forms the multi-layer films on the substrate 8 supported on a rotating substrate susceptor 7 by changing over successively plural targets 3, 4 in a vacuum vessel 1 by operating a change-over switch 9 and a shutter 11. A sample support 21 which supports plural dummy sample plates 22 is freely rotatably provided to part of the above- mentioned susceptor 7 in parallel therewith. The support 21 is turned by a rotational driving mechanism 23 disposed on the outside of the vacuum vessel 1 in accordance with the change-over of the targets 3, 4 to expose the sample plates by each sheet from a shielding cover 23 so that the thin films for inspecting the film quality by each layer are successively formed on the dummy sample plates 22.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] A plurality of different types of targets 7) and a support supporting a substrate are arranged in a vacuum container, and a plurality of different types of target substances are continuously applied onto the substrate. In a sputtering apparatus for forming a multilayer film in which layers are sequentially formed, a sample support for supporting a plurality of dummy sample plates for inspecting the film quality of each layer is provided on a part of the substrate support, and a shield for exposing the dummy sample plates one by one. A cover body is provided, and a rotation drive mechanism for rotating the sample support body in an arbitrary rotational direction is disposed outside the vacuum vessel, and in parallel with the continuous lamination of the multilayer film on the substrate,
A plurality of dummy sample plates arranged by rotating the sample support are sequentially exposed, and 11 films for film quality inspection for each layer are obtained on each dummy sample plate, and each layer of the formed multilayer film is This makes it easier to inspect film quality.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a sputtering apparatus for depositing and forming various thin films, and in particular, in an apparatus configured to continuously form multiple layers of different MWl films by a sputtering method, the film quality of each of the laminated layers is individually inspected. The present invention relates to the structure of a sputtering apparatus that can simultaneously obtain dummy samples.

Recently, in a sputtering atmosphere in which a plurality of different types of targets and a substrate on which a thin film is to be formed are arranged facing each other, the voltage applied between the substrate and each of the targets is sequentially switched, and different thin films are successively formed in multiple layers on the substrate. A sputtering device that forms layers has been proposed.

When different thin films are successively layered on a substrate using such an apparatus, it is necessary to fully understand and manage the film quality of each of these layers.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional sputtering apparatus described above includes two target supports 5 and 6 each having a different type of target 3.4 attached thereto, in a vacuum chamber 1 equipped with an exhaust device 2, and A support 8 supporting a substrate 7 on which a thin film is to be formed is disposed. Each target support 5.degree.6 is electrically insulated from the vacuum vessel, and is configured to selectively apply a DC voltage or a high frequency voltage via a changeover switch 9. Also, the substrate support 7
is rotatable by a rotation mechanism 10 in order to equalize the thickness of the thin film deposited on the substrate 8.

Then, the vacuum chamber 1 is made into a sputtering gas atmosphere such as argon (Ar) gas, and one of the different targets 3
The shutter 11 on the side is opened, a DC voltage or a high frequency voltage is applied between the foreign target 3 and the substrate 7 to cause a discharge, and sputtering is performed for the required time while rotating the substrate 7 to form a first thin film (not shown). Adhesive formation.

Next, the changeover switch 9 is switched to apply the same DC voltage or high frequency voltage between the other different target 4 and the substrate 7 to cause a discharge, and sputtering is performed for the required time to form a second thin film (not shown) on the first thin film. Laminated and formed. By repeating the same sputtering process thereafter, it is possible to continuously form a multilayer film on the substrate 7.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, when forming multilayer films as described above, it is extremely important to understand and manage the film quality of each AT film that is successively stacked. However, conventional sputtering equipment as described above has the advantage of being extremely efficient in that it can continuously deposit and form multilayer films in a short period of time through a series of steps from the vacuum evacuation process to the sputtering process. On the other hand, there is a problem in that it is not possible to grasp the film quality of each layer of the formed multilayer film.

That is, it is extremely difficult to inspect the film quality of each thin film in a multilayer film.

Therefore, when forming thin films of each layer sequentially on the substrate 7,
We also attempted to gradually increase the atmosphere inside the vacuum container 1 and place a dummy sample plate for film quality inspection near the substrate 7, but this method required a very long time to form a multilayer film, and However, there is a problem in that the characteristics and advantages of a sputtering apparatus that can form a multilayer film cannot be effectively utilized.

In view of these problems, the present invention places a plurality of dummy sample plates for film quality inspection in advance in the vicinity of the substrate 7 in the vacuum container 1, corresponding to the number of laminated layers to be formed. To provide a new sputtering device capable of sequentially depositing dummy thin films on the plurality of dummy sample plates for film quality inspection in parallel with the formation of layers of each thin film without returning the inside of the sputtering device to the atmosphere. The purpose is to

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention rotatably provides a sample support 21 that supports a plurality of dummy sample plates 22 on a part of the support 7 that supports the substrate 7, as shown in FIG. A shielding cover body 23 is provided on the front surface of the dummy sample plate 22 so as to expose the dummy sample plates 22 one by one.
It is configured so that rotation can be controlled in any rotational direction.

[For production]

In the apparatus configured as described above, when a multilayer film is continuously formed on the substrate 7 by sputtering, the sample support 21 is rotated and supported by a plurality of dummy samples each time a thin film of each layer is formed. By sequentially exposing the plates 22 from the shielding cover body 23 and simultaneously depositing the i-film on the dummy sample plate 22, it is possible to efficiently and easily prepare thin film samples corresponding to the thin films of each layer whose film quality is to be tested. It becomes possible to obtain.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a sputtering apparatus according to the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum container equipped with an exhaust device 2, and inside the vacuum container 1 there are two target supports 5.6 each having different types of targets 3 and 4 attached thereto, and a thin film is formed opposite thereto. A support body 8 supporting a substrate 7 to be processed is disposed.

Each target support 5, 6 is electrically insulated from the vacuum vessel, and a DC voltage or a high frequency voltage is selectively applied via a changeover switch 9.

In addition, the substrate support 7 is rotatable by a rotation mechanism 10 in order to equalize the thickness of the thin film deposited on the substrate 8, and a part thereof has a plurality of dummy sample plates as shown in the figure. 2
A sample support 21 that supports 2 is provided so as to be rotatable in any rotational direction by a rotation drive mechanism 24 attached outside the vacuum container 1, and the sample support 21 is shown in the partially enlarged plan view of FIG. As shown, a shielding cover body 23 is installed so that a plurality of dummy sample plates 22 attached to the surface thereof are exposed one by one.

Furthermore, the rotation shaft of the sample support 21 and the rotation drive mechanism 24
The rotation axis of the sample support 21 is normally separated from the rotation axis of the sample support 21, and when the sample support 21 is rotated in a predetermined manner, the rotation axis of the rotation drive mechanism 24 is connected in contact with the rotation axis of the sample support 21 to support the sample. The body 21 is configured to rotate.

Now, in order to form a multilayer film on the substrate 8 on the substrate support 7 using a sputtering apparatus having such a configuration and simultaneously obtain a dummy sample for film quality inspection of each layer, first, the substrate is placed on the substrate support 7. 8 and sample support 2
A plurality of dummy sample plates for film quality inspection are also placed on top of the sample plate corresponding to the number of laminated layers to be formed.

Next, after evacuating the inside of the vacuum container 1, the inside of the container 1 is made into a sputtering gas atmosphere consisting of argon (Ar) gas, etc., and the substrate 8 is rotated so that one of the different targets 3
The shutter 11 on the side is opened, and a DC voltage or high frequency voltage is applied between the foreign target 3 and the substrate support 7 to cause discharge and perform sputtering for a required period of time, thereby depositing and forming a first thin film (not shown).

Next, the rotation shaft of the rotation drive mechanism 24 is brought into contact with the rotation shaft of the sample support 21 to rotate the sample support 21,
At the same time as the first thin film is formed, the first dummy sample plate 22 coated with the thin film is sent next, and the next second dummy sample plate 22 is exposed. Thereafter, the changeover switch 9 is switched to apply a DC voltage or high frequency voltage between the other different target 4 and the substrate 7 to cause a discharge, and sputtering is performed for the required time to form a second thin film (not shown) on the first thin film. Laminated thin films are formed. Thereafter, by repeating the same sputtering process, a multilayer film is continuously formed on the substrate 7, and in parallel, the film quality of each layer is sequentially formed on a plurality of dummy sample plates on the sample support 21. It becomes possible to easily form a thin film for inspection.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the sputtering apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of dummy films are efficiently arranged adjacent to the substrate in parallel with the continuous stacking of multilayer films on the substrate. It becomes possible to sequentially obtain thin films for film quality inspection for each layer on the sample plate, and has the excellent advantage that the film quality of each layer of the formed multilayer film can be quickly and easily tested.

Therefore, it has great practical effects when applied to this type of sputtering apparatus for forming continuous multilayer films and various sputtering apparatuses that require thin film samples for film quality inspection.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a sputtering apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view showing an embodiment of the arrangement of the sample support in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a conventional sputtering apparatus. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the sputtering apparatus of FIG. In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 is a vacuum container, 3.4 is a plurality of different target lifts, 7 is a substrate support, 8 is a substrate, 9 is a changeover switch, 21 is a sample support, and 22 is a plurality of dummy samples. 23 is a shielding cover body, and 24 is a rotational drive mechanism. No.4'Asr*fj*TivR1b*fLjM'lr
+iol! III? Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of different targets (3), (4) are placed in a vacuum container (1).
) and a support (7) that supported the substrate (8) opposite to it.
) is placed in the vacuum chamber (1), the inside of the vacuum vessel (1) is made into a sputtering gas atmosphere, and discharge is caused to sequentially form a plurality of different target materials on the substrate (8). A sample support (21) that supports a plurality of dummy sample plates (22) is rotatably provided in a part thereof in parallel, and a shielding cover that exposes the dummy sample plates (22) one by one to the target side. a rotational drive for exposing another dummy sample plate (22) by rotating the sample support (21) in an arbitrary rotational direction in response to switching of sputtering targets; mechanism(
24) is arranged outside the vacuum vessel (1).